The agenda for the May 5, 2014 Mount Gilead Village Council meeting included a joint meeting with the Gilead Township Trustees. The meeting was to adopt a motion as it relates to the Union cemeteries as well as appointing an at-large member to serve on the board. With none of the trustees attending the meeting, however, this action could not be taken.

Village Clerk Sue Merman asked what she should do with the resolution that could not be passed without the trustees. Village Solicitor Griffith recommended that it be ready for the next village council meeting.

Mayor Porter discussed a meeting he had with the Gilead Township trustees on possibly redoing some of the streets that lead into the village when they next repair them. The Mayor requested a proposal from the trustees for the last council meeting in preparation for the May fifth meeting so that council would have time to review the proposal. He reported that at this time he has not received anything from them.

“Their intentions on that are unclear at this point,” said Porter.

Porter shared that he spoke with a representative of the Ohio Attorney General’s Office to request an opinion on whether the township can give funds to the village from the road levy and was told that the village can not request an opinion: that it had to be done by the county prosecutor. Porter noted that he spoke to the county prosecutor who said they (the state) have already done an opinion on that issue most recently in 1983. Porter said the prosecutor stated that they (the state) does not like to give opinions on something that has already been given an opinion.

“We (village residents) are paying in as much or more that residents outside the village limits,” said Porter. “That may weigh more than the circumstances surrounding the opinion from the 1980’s - I do not know.”

Council member Clapper asked Village Solicitor Matt Griffith if the correspondence the village has received from the prosecutor’s office indicates that they can share the funds by mutual agreement.

“That was my reading of it,” Griffith responded.

Council member Tim Clapper asked, “Is there any stipulation that it must be a shared road such as one that is part village part township?” Griffith indicated that he did not recall any stipulation.

Becky Kilgour spoke to council members on behalf of the Chamber of Commerce in regards to the Sweet Corn Festival to be held Friday and Saturday July 18 and 19, 2014. Kilgour requested that the streets be closed from Friday afternoon at 3:00 pm to Saturday midnight for the festival. The request was granted. She shared that there will be a car show and the pageant will be held inside WolfPak Martial Arts this year.

Fire Chief Young was out of town and excused from the meeting. Police Chief Zerman was unable to attend but submitted a written report. Mount Gilead police had 20 responses since the last council meeting.

Village Administrator Dan Rogers reported that work continues on the village pool. He noted that concrete in the deep end needed repaired, the side walls are being welded, the bottom has been power washed and is being repainted. The restrooms have been power washed in preparation for primer and paint. There are shower valves that are leaking and will be repaired.

In other business the council approved a motion to suspend the rules on the following ordinances; 1700; OPERS/Council; 1701;Supplemental Appropriation and approved motions to adopt both ordinances.

Council approved a motion to suspend the rules and adopted resolution 4-21-14; Verizon Agreement. A motion was approved to put the funds received from the Verizon account into the capitol improvements fund.